Casting Slip Latex Mask in Silicone Mold
Hi,
I recently made a mold for a latex mask out of tin cure Silicone with a plaster jacket, since it was too large and a stone mold would be too heavy. I was going to paint up the latex layer by layer but I had a few questions
1) What would be a good release? I had Johnson's Wax recommended to me and I gather they don't make it anymore. I do have some Ease Release 2831, which is Wax Based. I'm just not sure what (if anything) might inhibit the latex or create problems
2) When painting layer by layer is there a problem with shrinking happening in between the layers? I was going ot use a hair dryer between layers - how long roughly should I be waiting between?
Or any other general advice or this method of making latex masks layer by layer would be much appreciated
Thanks
I recently made a mold for a latex mask out of tin cure Silicone with a plaster jacket, since it was too large and a stone mold would be too heavy. I was going to paint up the latex layer by layer but I had a few questions
1) What would be a good release? I had Johnson's Wax recommended to me and I gather they don't make it anymore. I do have some Ease Release 2831, which is Wax Based. I'm just not sure what (if anything) might inhibit the latex or create problems
2) When painting layer by layer is there a problem with shrinking happening in between the layers? I was going ot use a hair dryer between layers - how long roughly should I be waiting between?
Or any other general advice or this method of making latex masks layer by layer would be much appreciated
Thanks
0
Comments
I'm happy to help here.
1) No mold release should be needed.
2) You should be fine to use a hair dryer to dry each layer, and shrinkage should be minimal without any additives like thickeners, but it may change based on the formula. How long the latex takes to dry depends on a lot of factors like air temperature, latex formula (additives, etc), and how thick the brushed-on layer is. You can also leave a fan blowing over the mold to help it dry faster if you don't want to use a hairdryer. You'll know the latex is dry when you see the color shift (depending on how you pigment it) and the surface will go from tacky to firm.
My only advice would be that more thin layers tend to work better than fewer thick layers. Thick applications can take a long time to dry and shrink more.
/Chris